ARTIST STATEMENT: Growing up in Haiphong, Vietnam, Chi Nguyen is influenced by her countryâ€™s folk art, lacquer paintings, and traditional calligraphy. She draws inspirations from a variety of subjects â€” ranging from human emotions and connections, historical and contemporary struggles, to abstract conceptual ideas. Her subjects are often centered around women and the search for identity. As a stylistic choice, Chi always incorporate writing into her paintings, by either writing straight onto the canvas or by narrating the lines as she paints.